LOS ANGELES -- LAFC walked off the pitch at BMO Stadium with a win on Wednesday night, but there was little reason for celebration.
The Black & Gold had just survived a 1-1 draw with already-eliminated Querétaro before winning 5-3 on penalties, keeping their Leagues Cup campaign alive heading into the final day of Phase One. Ryan Porteous converted the deciding penalty after Querétaro's Daniel Parra hit the crossbar, but LAFC's players knew there was still work left to do.
"We didn't want to be in this position," head coach Marc Dos Santos said after the match. "We did enough in the game to get the full three points."
That was the feeling throughout the night. LAFC controlled much of the match after falling behind early, outshooting Querétaro 17-11 and creating enough opportunities to win in regulation. Instead, the Black & Gold were forced to settle for an extra point and wait for Thursday's results to determine whether seven points will be enough to reach the quarterfinals.
Querétaro punished LAFC for a shaky opening 15 minutes. Hugo Lloris made a difficult save on Bayron Duarte's long-range effort in the 12th minute, but the rebound fell directly to Alí Ávila, who headed into an empty net. The goal was the first time LAFC had trailed in a Leagues Cup match since the 2024 final and immediately made the task more complicated.
Ryan Porteous admitted afterward that the team knew what was coming.
"We should have learned our lesson from watching the games previous," Porteous said. "If we don't do the basics well enough in the first half, and we go one-nil down, it's always going to be a tough game."
The response after halftime was much closer to the standard LAFC has set during its recent run. Ryan Raposo, making his first start of the competition, provided one of the biggest sparks. He repeatedly found space against Querétaro's low defensive block before finally making the breakthrough in the 57th minute.
Raposo's first-time cross slipped through the goalkeeper and found Denis Bouanga at the far post for a simple finish. The goal was Bouanga's 15th in Leagues Cup, moving him back into sole possession of the competition's all-time scoring record.
Raposo said breaking down that kind of defense remains an area LAFC continues to work on.
"We deal a lot with teams in a lower block," Raposo said. "It's something we can definitely continue to work on and break teams down, running behind, making it difficult for teams to stay in that low block."
LAFC kept pushing for the winner, but Querétaro refused to give it up. The match eventually reached penalties, putting the Black & Gold in a familiar situation after opening Leagues Cup with a shootout victory over Chivas.
There was some concern on LAFC's sideline before the shootout. Dos Santos said he worried the frustration of failing to win in regulation could carry over, particularly with several players already pushed by the club's congested schedule.
Instead, every LAFC taker converted.
Bouanga, Son Heung-Min, Yevhen Cheberko and Ryan Hollingshead all found the net before Porteous stepped up to finish it. For the first time since defeating Pachuca 4-2 in last year's Leagues Cup, LAFC's penalty takers turned in a perfect shootout. A result that, for now, keeps the door open.
Porteous said the team's composure in those moments has become a strength.
"You need to take emotions out the game, especially during a high pressure situation like that," he said.
Even after Porteous' winning kick, there was no celebration. LAFC's players understood the result had only bought them another day.
"I think we need to be pretty humble as a group," Porteous said. "Know our limits, and try and really build on."
LAFC finishes Phase One with seven points and currently sits third among MLS clubs. The Black & Gold will advance to the quarterfinals if either Austin FC or Chicago Fire loses in regulation Thursday.
For now, the team can only wait.
"We're alive tonight," Dos Santos said. "Let's see what's gonna happen tomorrow."
